Welcome, Lindsay Boyd ❣
1. For those who might not be familiar with you, would you be a dear and tell the readers a little about yourself? How did you get your start in the writing business?
(Lindsay) I am originally from just outside the city of Melbourne in Australia and nursed the ambition to be a writer from an early age. I set myself the challenge of writing a novel at the age of twenty and succeeded by hook or by crook. It may not have been the greatest novel in the world but at least I demonstrated to myself that I could muster the self-discipline necessary to achieve such an aim. In my twenties I wrote some other novels and also penned a number of screenplays. While I received plenty of encouraging and positive feedback it would a number of years before I began publishing material.
2. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, please share how you handle it.
(Lindsay) Where I am concerned this is almost a N/A question. But if stuck in any kind of writing rut I adhere to the same philosophy I apply to a difficult patch on a long-distance run, ie, I ride out the storm and carry on regardless. Blocks or ruts pass. It is simply a matter of working your way through them.
3. Contrary to what some people envision about a writer’s life, it’s not all glitz and glam. Well not for the majority of us. With that bubble sadly busted, when you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?
(Lindsay) Many writers would have ‘day jobs’. I certainly do and I doubt I would want to give them up even if I could. I am a personal carer and a traveller as much as I am writer. Work as a personal carer / community development worker was my way of making ends meet for numerous years and I continue working at that these days. I have lived and worked in numerous intentional community settings all over the world. Spirituality is very important to me. I have been in the habit of daily meditation for more than twenty years. As far as leisure time activities goes, I enjoy reading, music, films, photography, running, swimming, other languages and cultures, to name just a few.
4. I know many writers, such as myself, keep their pastime/career a secret. Do those close to you know you write? If so, what are their thoughts?
(Lindsay) Yes, they do. Since it is an integral part of who I am it would be hard to keep it a secret. I think for the most part those in the know appreciate my efforts, which is gratifying. There may also be equal parts astonishment that I have kept for so long at something that has been for me essentially a non-paying enterprise. Fortunately I learnt long ago not to concern myself overmuch with the question of how much money I might or might not earn from writing.
5. Will you share with us your all-time favorite authors? If you’re like me, it’s a long list so give us your top ten.
(Lindsay) Hermann Hesse / Fyodor Dostoyevsky / C. P. Cavafy / Yukio Mishima / Nikos Kazantzakis / Albert Camus / Erich Fromm / Marilynne Robinson / Jhumpa Lahiri / Kazuo Ishiguro
Kam: I’m not familiar with all these authors so thank you for giving me ideas of who to check out next.
6. If you could choose one book to go to the big screen, yours or otherwise, which book would you choose and whom would you love to see cast in the parts?
(Lindsay) Screen adaptations of books are arguably best kept to the work of genre fiction writers. As a writer of literary fiction I find this a tough question to answer. I generally believe the two mediums should steer clear of each other, though I have seen competent renderings of literary fiction books I like. I never write a novel with a view to the screen. What I do write with a view to the screen are screenplays, but only when I feel I have an idea that would translate okay and / or is best fitted for that.
7. Would you care to tell us what you’re working on now? That is if it’s not top-secret information. If so, just whisper it in my ear. I swear it’ll go no further.
(Lindsay) The recently released Inevitable is the first novel of an anticipated trilogy of self-contained works whose underlying link is thematic, principally the theme of new life. Aside from the second book of this trilogy I am also working on a novel titled Marginal, which takes as its starting point the death under suspicious circumstances of a long-term homeless Irishman and how this event impacts the lives of the diverse group of individuals with whom he came into contact in his final year. Concurrently, I plan to work on a couple of screenplay ideas and see what if anything comes of those.
8. Where can we find your stories, and is there a particular reading order?
(Lindsay) I have published shorter pieces, both fiction and non-fiction, in numerous print journals and ezines. I have three books on smashwords, a two-part ‘travel memoir’ and also a book of stories. A few years ago I self-published a trilogy of self-contained novels on the theme of healing and reconciliation. The second was later published in ebook format by Brisbane, Australia based jaffabooks.com.au Books one and three and the original version of the second can be found on amazon, etc. The three components of that trilogy could be read in any order, I feel, though there is a progression in the treatment of the theme.
9. Would you please share how your present and future fans can contact you?
(Lindsay) A good place to commence might be my Facebook author page. Then there is my blog / site. The most direct route of all, however, would be my personal email address: snowball5810@yahoo.com.au
10. Before we conclude this enlightening interview, do you have anything else you’d like to share? The stage is all yours.
(Lindsay) There is much to like about the writing life, as hard as it can be to earn a crust as a writer. But I would encourage anyone who feels they have this vocation in them to give it a go. The freedom to be able to work anytime, anywhere, is not to be sniffed at. In essence it is as down to earth as grabbing a pen, or a pencil, and a piece of paper (most things I write I prefer to write by hand in the first instance). Another great thing about writing, for me, is that it is a sublime meditative pursuit that never fails to take one within – hopefully to the discovery of more resonant ‘truisms’ than those obtainable outside oneself. My life would never have been the same without it.
~~ Closing Remarks ~~
Ladies and Gents, I hope you enjoyed my interview with Lindsay Boyd. If you have any questions or comments for Lindsay, by all means, leave him a message below. However, before you drop us a line, please take a moment and take a gander at Inevitable. Genre: mystery/suspense
Thanks!!
Having recently completed a twelve-year-prison term for a horrendous crime committed when he was fourteen, Vanburn Holding pitches his hopes for a new life in an intentional recovery community based in northeast Thailand. On the eve of his departure for Asia an encounter with an ailing American high school girl on one of the beaches of his Caribbean island home threatens to derail his plans. Van, however, contends with this frightening occurrence and upon journeying to Asia and establishing himself in the community setting makes great strides in fashioning the mode of life he has envisioned for years. But his past catches up with him, bringing the realisation that things left undone at home for too long cannot remain in that state. He therefore acts to take responsibility for all his actions, not simply those with consequences more easily borne.
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)
When I read a book, I notice my mood reflects the undertones of what I’m viewing. For the most part, Inevitable is a depressing read which, in turn, turned my happy mood — sour.
I realize the subject manor wasn’t intended to elicit feeling of happiness. I went in with my eyes wide open on what I would be facing. Murder, missing teenager, is not light reading material at all. However, my main issue isn’t with the plot but how it was carried out.
The characters didn’t really display any real emotion. Lindsay didn’t create enough emotional connection between his characters and the cases discussed in the book.
For example, if your child goes missing, a normal reaction would be tears….. buckets of tears. I don’t think the majority of us parents (caregivers) would be taking a dip in the pool. Lindsay had Gloria’s family more concerned about public image than anything else. Their detachment caused me to experience no interest to their plight, which is the adverse reaction a person should feel. Right?
As for Vanburn, no feelings expressed there either. When he “spoke” I heard it all in a monotone voice. Actually, as I was reading each page, I heard the man from the old Visine commercials in my head. (If you aren’t familiar with him/it, google it.) Boring, lifeless, and I’m afraid to say so was this book.
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)
Score: ❤
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